Silver Latches
by xgossamerstars
Summary: The dark eyes were closed, but Kakashi was sure...he was so sure...that they would open again. KakaIru deathfic.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, everyone would hate me after this fic.**

**A/N: Old story, new characters. This scene was a part of You Still Have All Of Me, which is an Inuyasha fic of mine. I couldn't resist writing it with KakaIru.**

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He had never worn a suit before. 

Of course, there had been no reason to in his profession. Dress shoes weren't the best thing for chasing enemy nin. Granted, very few shinobi even owned suits in Konoha, but it was the principle of the thing: Kakashi had never worn a suit before, and he didn't like it. The weather was stifling, the peak of summer, and the suit was itchy, hot, and the thin blue tie was choking him.

Strange, though, that it was all he could think about as he, Genma, Gai, and Naruto hoisted the heavy coffin to their shoulders.

Why was it so heavy? He could only have weighed a hundred and sixty pounds at the most. It must have been the coffin--all that oak, marble, and silver.

They set the casket on the silver casters that sat above the newly dug plot. With that burden relieved, Kakashi retreated a few feet away to listen to Tsunade, whom, as Hokage, always presided over the funerals of her shinobi. Naruto, Sakura, Genma, Raidou, Asuma, Gai, Kurenai...all the jounin, all the chuunin were there, as well as the rest of the Rookie Nine...save, of course, the traitorous Sasuke. Konohamaru was clutching Ebisu's hand as tightly as possible, his eyes screwed up in an expression meant to prevent the very childlike, but very unshinobilike, tears from falling. And everyone, everyone looked so uptight, so uncomfortable.

Or was it just him? For now that he really looked at them, they all seemed terribly depressed. Why was that? Certainly funerals were sad, but why did they all look so completely anguished?

Tsunade was talking quietly, but nothing she said seemed to make very much sense. There was a lot of talk about tragedy, and young life cut short, but all of it was just words. There was no tragedy in the life of a shinobi, and all young lives were cut short. Everyone knew that, even Tsunade, but Tsunade had nothing else to say. There were no words of comfort.

Suddenly, everyone around him bowed their heads in a prayer. Kakashi scowled, tugging at his collar. Kami didn't exist.

If he did, Kakashi wouldn't be standing there in a suit.

The next thing he knew, he heard a sob from nearby. Sakura had broken down and was crying into Naruto's shoulder, though Naruto looked as if he might do the same. Genma was practically holding Anko upright, and Konohamaru had buried his face into Ebisu's pant leg.

A single tear dropped from Gai's eye and he put his arm around Kakashi's shoulders. "It's almost over," he whispered, no trace of the flair for the dramatic in his voice.

Good, Kakashi thought. I'm about to choke to death.

"...and now, I will ask Hatake Kakashi to come forward and secure the casket."

Why had she said his name?

Gai pushed him gently forward, murmuring, "Just flip the latch down, my friend."

Kakashi went up to the casket, but didn't touch the latch. Instead, he stared down the body beneath him. The dark eyes were closed, but Kakashi was sure--he was so sure--that they would open again. How was he supposed to get out if he flipped it down? He cast Gai a helpless look. Everyone was staring.

"Just flip it down, my friend. Please," Gai mumbled, looking away from Kakashi's gaze as if it hurt him.

Kakashi looked back at the casket. It was made of oak trimmed in pale marble, with a silver latch, handles, and hinges. It was beautiful, but the man inside it was even more so. He couldn't bring himself to lock him in that box where he couldn't get out.

Kakashi looked at Gai and shook his head.

Sighing, Gai whispered something to Genma, who nodded. Gai walked forward, once again putting his arm around Kakashi's shoulders. He closed the latches and began to usher his friend back to the ranks, but Kakashi strained against his arm.

"No," he protested, "Now he can't get out."

Gai flinched at his words; a gasp ran through the crowd as they watched the scene that unfolded before them with pitying eyes. Kakashi broke away from Gai's grip and fled back to the casket, grasping the latches, but the latches wouldn't budge, no matter how hard he shook them. Gai tried to pull him back; Kakashi clutched the handles with all his strength, refusing to let go. The other ninja loosened the tie of his dark green suit and attempted once more to pry Kakashi away, before enlisting the help of Genma.

"Let me go," Kakashi mumbled absently, as Genma took his fingers and tried to pull them from the handles. "He can't get out, Genma, no, he can't get out, no!"

Kakashi's cries grew louder and louder as Raidou came to help; he and Genma succeeded in prying Kakashi's hands from the handles, while Gai hauled him quickly away from the casket.

"No!" Kakashi cried, struggling against Gai's secure arms. "No, no, no, Genma, help me, please, he can't get out, Gai! Let me go! He can't get out...he can't...IRUKA!"

Slowly, quietly, the crowd parted as Gai led the hysterical Hatake Kakashi away just before Iruka's casket was lowered into the cold ground.

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**A/N: Reviews? Please don't hate me . **


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